Bò lá lốt Recipe - NGON Vietnam

Bò Lá Lốt

Grilled Beef Wrapped in Wild Betel Leaves

Seasoned ground beef wrapped in aromatic wild betel leaves and grilled until smoky, served with rice noodles, fresh herbs, and dipping sauce.

Other variations:

Bò lá lốt nướng, Bò lá lốt chiên, Bò lá lốt cuốn bánh tráng

Region

Southern Vietnam

Preparation Time

1h45

Servings

4 - 5

Difficulty

Medium

About this recipe

Bò Lá Lốt is a beloved Southern Vietnamese street food and party dish. The wild betel leaves impart a distinctive herbal aroma to the beef, and the rolls are often enjoyed as part of a communal wrap with noodles, herbs, and fish sauce or fermented anchovy dipping sauce.

Ingredients List

500 g beef (ground) 125 g pork fat (minced) 20 - 25 wild betel leaves 2 cloves garlic (minced) 2 shallots (minced) 1 stalk lemongrass (finely minced) 2 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp sugar ½ tsp black pepper (ground) 3 scallions (chopped) 4 tbsp oil, plus a little for brushing 50 g roasted peanuts (crushed) 400 g dried rice noodles 16 rice paper sheets fresh herbs (basil, mint, lettuce) For the dipping sauce 3 tbsp fish sauce 3 tbsp sugar 4 tbsp water 1 lime (juiced) 1 - 2 chilies (sliced)

Materials & Tools

Grill or stovetop grill pan Mixing bowls Knife and chopping board Skewers Small pan (for scallion oil) Medium pot Serving platter

Preparation steps

Total Time

1h45

Cooking Time

30 min

Active Time

1h15

Make Filling

Mix beef and pork fat with garlic, shallots, lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar and pepper.

15 min

Marinate

Cover and refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minutes.

30 min

Wrap Rolls

Place a leaf shiny side down, add a spoonful of filling and roll up tightly. Thread rolls onto skewers.

15 min

Make Scallion Oil

Heat oil until hot and pour over scallions.

5 min

Grill

Brush rolls with a little oil and grill over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side, until leaves are lightly charred and beef is cooked through.

15 min

Cook Noodles

Boil noodles until tender, then drain.

10 min

Make Dipping Sauce

Stir fish sauce, sugar, water and lime juice until sugar dissolves, then add chili.

5 min

Serve

Arrange beef rolls, noodles, herbs and rice paper on a platter, spoon scallion oil over rolls and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with dipping sauce. To eat, lay a rice paper sheet flat, add some herbs, noodles and 2 - 3 beef rolls, roll up tightly and dip into sauce.

10 min

Chef’s Tips

Do not overgrill to avoid bitterness from burnt leaves; choose fresh, tender betel leaves for best flavor.

Serving Suggestions

Fresh herbs, rice noodles, fish sauce dipping sauce

Nutritional info

420kcal
25g protein
16g fat
45g carbs

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